Wave Park in South Korea, the world’s largest manmade surf and water recreation park, held and sponsored this year’s International Theme and Amusement Park Society (ITAPS) Conference.

The theme of the conference was manmade surf parks in relation to tourism. Wave Park also sponsored the much-loved local surf competition known as ‘Buscan City Mayor’s International Surf Competition’, which took place on June 18 to 20.

The manmade surf park in South Korea features state-of-the-are wave technology from Wavegarden, specialists in the research, design, manufacture, installation and commission of wave generating systems. The 166,000sq.m wave park reopened in April 2021, following closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Wave Park’s waves can generate waves every eight seconds, equating to 1,000 waves an hour. From Barrels to Malibu Waves, visitors at the wave park can experience 40 different types of waves.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the ITAPS conference took place online via Zoom. The venue’s chairman, Choi Sam-seob introduced the conference, welcoming keynote speakers, who had been chosen for their unique skills and experience.

One such speaker was Philip Cuddy, market manager California and Korea, who shared insight on the potential of surf parks in relation to therapy.

Another keynote speaker was Professor Roger Royo from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, who spoke about tourism in the post-Covid world.